136-613: The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a large Christmas tree placed annually at Rockefeller Center , in Midtown Manhattan , New York City, United States. The tree is put in place in mid November and lit in a public ceremony on the Wednesday evening following Thanksgiving . Since 1997, the lighting has been broadcast live, to hundreds of millions, on NBC 's Christmas in Rockefeller Center telecast. The tree lighting ceremony
272-602: A CIA agent assigned to the FBI's international terrorism division, emailed his superiors at the CIA's Counterterrorism Center (CTC) requesting permission to inform the FBI that Hazmi was in the country and that Mihdhar had a U.S. visa. The CIA never responded. The same day, Margarette Gillespie, an FBI analyst working in the CTC, was told to review material about the Malaysia meeting. She was not told of
408-514: A Christmas party for the officers at Sorel , Quebec, delighting their guests with a fir tree decorated with candles and fruits. The Christmas tree became very common in the United States of America in the early 19th century. Dating from late 1812 or early 1813, the watercolor sketchbooks of John Lewis Krimmel contain perhaps the earliest depictions of a Christmas tree in American art, representing
544-575: A Christmas tree is on the keystone sculpture of a private home in Turckheim , Alsace (then part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation , today part of France), with the date 1576. Modern Christmas trees have been related to the " tree of paradise " of medieval mystery plays that were given on 24 December, the commemoration and name day of Adam and Eve in various countries. In such plays,
680-491: A Christmas tree to Washington, D.C. , as a symbol of friendship between Norway and the US and as an expression of gratitude from Norway for the help received from the US during World War II . Both setting up and taking down a Christmas tree are associated with specific dates; liturgically, this is done through the hanging of the greens ceremony. In many areas, it has become customary to set up one's Christmas tree on Advent Sunday ,
816-533: A German immigrant to Boston, for being the first to introduce to America the custom of decorating a Christmas tree. In 1847, August Imgard, a German immigrant living in Wooster, Ohio cut a blue spruce tree from a woods outside town, had the Wooster village tinsmith construct a star, and placed the tree in his house, decorating it with paper ornaments, gilded nuts and Kuchen . German immigrant Charles Minnigerode accepted
952-576: A Hessian soldier put up a Christmas tree in 1777 while imprisoned at the Noden-Reed House, while the "First Christmas Tree in America" is also claimed by Easton, Pennsylvania , where German settlers purportedly erected a Christmas tree in 1816. In his diary, Matthew Zahm of Lancaster, Pennsylvania , recorded the use of a Christmas tree in 1821, leading Lancaster to also lay claim to the first Christmas tree in America. Other accounts credit Charles Follen ,
1088-449: A charity was set up specifically to ensure even poor children in London slums "who had never seen a Christmas tree" would enjoy one that year. Anti-German sentiment after World War I briefly reduced their popularity but the effect was short-lived, and by the mid-1920s the use of Christmas trees had spread to all classes. In 1933, a restriction on the importation of foreign trees led to
1224-785: A commercial pilot's license. Hanjour arrived in San Diego on December 8, 2000, joining Hazmi. They soon left for Arizona, where Hanjour took refresher training. Marwan al-Shehhi arrived at the end of May 2000, while Atta arrived on June 3, 2000, and Jarrah arrived on June 27, 2000. Bin al-Shibh applied several times for a visa to the United States, but as a Yemeni, he was rejected out of concerns he would overstay his visa. Bin al-Shibh stayed in Hamburg, providing coordination between Atta and Mohammed. The three Hamburg cell members all took pilot training in South Florida at Huffman Aviation . In
1360-457: A fairy tale called The Fir-Tree in 1844, recounting the fate of a fir tree being used as a Christmas tree. By the early 18th century, the custom had become common in towns of the upper Rhineland, but it had not yet spread to rural areas. Wax candles, expensive items at the time, are found in attestations from the late 18th century. Along the Lower Rhine , an area of Roman Catholic majority,
1496-502: A family celebrating Christmas Eve in the Moravian tradition. The first published image of a Christmas tree appeared in 1836 as the frontispiece to The Stranger's Gift by Hermann Bokum. The first mention of the Christmas tree in American literature was in a story in the 1836 edition of The Token and Atlantic Souvenir , titled "New Year's Day", by Catherine Maria Sedgwick , where she tells
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#17328454823131632-555: A few theories that 9/11 was selected by the hijackers as the date of the attack because it resembled 9-1-1 , the phone number used to report emergencies in the United States. However, Lawrence Wright wrote that the hijackers chose the date when John III Sobieski , the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania , began the battle that turned back the Ottoman Empire 's Muslim armies that were attempting to capture Vienna in 1683. Vienna
1768-558: A group of men from Hamburg , Germany, arrived in Afghanistan. The group included Mohamed Atta , Marwan al-Shehhi , Ziad Jarrah , and Ramzi bin al-Shibh. Bin Laden selected these men because they were educated, could speak English, and had experience living in the West. New recruits were routinely screened for special skills and al-Qaeda leaders consequently discovered that Hani Hanjour already had
1904-678: A live broadcast on November 29, 2023. The tree remained on display until 10:00 PM EST on January 13, 2024. Trees are traditionally donated to Rockefeller Center, which in turn donates the lumber after display. Until his death in 2009, the late David Murbach, Manager of the Gardens Division of Rockefeller Center, scouted for the desired tree in upstate New York and surrounding states, and even Ottawa in Ontario , Canada. Erik Pauzé, Head Gardener at Rockefeller Center, looks for each year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. He visits nurseries throughout
2040-494: A matter for the FBI". By late June, senior counter-terrorism official Richard Clarke and CIA director George Tenet were "convinced that a major series of attacks was about to come", although the CIA believed the attacks would likely occur in Saudi Arabia or Israel. In early July, Clarke put domestic agencies on "full alert", telling them, "Something spectacular is going to happen here, and it's going to happen soon". He asked
2176-473: A newspaper advertisement for Christmas trees makes clear their smart cachet, German origins and association with children and gift-giving. An illustrated book, The Christmas Tree , describing their use and origins in detail, was on sale in December 1844. On 2 January 1846, Elizabeth Fielding (née Fox Strangways) wrote from Lacock Abbey to William Henry Fox-Talbot : "Constance is extremely busy preparing
2312-634: A performance by The Rockettes . 40°45′31″N 73°58′42″W / 40.75861°N 73.97833°W / 40.75861; -73.97833 Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer , such as a spruce , pine or fir , or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas . The custom was developed in Central Europe , particularly Germany and Livonia (now Estonia and Latvia ), where Protestant Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. The tree
2448-465: A period of transition, having just relocated back to Afghanistan from Sudan . The 1998 African embassy bombings and bin Laden's February 1998 fatwā marked a turning point of al-Qaeda's terrorist operation, as bin Laden became intent on attacking the United States. In late 1998 or early 1999, bin Laden approved Mohammed to go forward with organizing the plot. Atef provided operational support, including target selections and helping arrange travel for
2584-633: A position as a professor of humanities at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia , in 1842, where he taught Latin and Greek. Entering into the social life of the Virginia Tidewater , Minnigerode introduced the German custom of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas at the home of law professor St. George Tucker , thereby becoming another of many influences that prompted Americans to adopt
2720-585: A religion that will prevent it from destroying all people. So we tell the Americans as people and we tell the mothers of soldiers and American mothers in general that if they value their lives and the lives of their children, to find a nationalistic government that will look after their interests and not the interests of the Jews . The continuation of tyranny will bring the fight to America, as [the 1993 World Trade Center bomber] Ramzi [Yousef] yourself and others did. This
2856-494: A report picked up by other papers, described the trees in Windsor Castle in detail and showed the main tree, surrounded by the royal family, on its cover. In fewer than ten years, the adoption of the tradition in middle and upper-class homes was widespread. By 1856, a northern provincial newspaper contained an advert alluding casually to them, as well as reporting the accidental death of a woman whose dress caught fire as she lit
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#17328454823132992-686: A second hour was added, meaning the tree is now lit just before 10 p.m. ET. In recent years, celebrity appearances and live performances preceded the tree lighting ceremony and featured some of the biggest names in music. Performers for the broadcast ceremonies have included, over the years, John Legend , Diana Ross , Gwen Stefani , Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood , Martina McBride , Pentatonix , Dolly Parton , Carrie Underwood , Brad Paisley , Harry Connick Jr. , Rosemary Clooney , Annie Lennox , Norah Jones , Aretha Franklin , Cyndi Lauper , Mariah Carey , Josh Groban , Mickey Guyton , Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett . The ceremony traditionally includes
3128-761: A small coniferous tree. These pale-colored ornaments differ in height from 20 cm (7.9 in) to 3 meters (9.8 ft). Chichilakis are most common in the Guria and Samegrelo regions of Georgia near the Black Sea , but they can also be found in some stores around the capital of Tbilisi . Georgians believe that Chichilaki resembles the famous beard of St. Basil the Great , because Eastern Orthodox Church commemorates St. Basil on 1 January. The earliest reference of Christmas trees being used in The Bahamas dates to January 1864 and
3264-404: A small tree decorated with "apples, nuts, dates, pretzels, and paper flowers" was erected in the guild-house for the benefit of the guild members' children, who collected the dainties on Christmas Day. In 1584, the pastor and chronicler Balthasar Russow in his Chronica der Provinz Lyfflandt (1584) wrote of an established tradition of setting up a decorated spruce at the market square, where
3400-439: A statement by him on September 16, 2001: "I stress that I have not carried out this act, which appears to have been carried out by individuals with their own motivation". In November 2001, U.S. forces recovered a videotape in which bin Laden, talking to Khaled al-Harbi , admitted foreknowledge of the attacks. On December 27, 2001, a second video of bin Laden was released in which he, stopping short of admitting responsibility for
3536-523: A symbol of socialism and Slavic mythology , strongly associated with loyalty, courage, and dignity. However, spruce retained its popularity in Slovenian homes during those years and came back to public places after independence. Although the tradition of decorating churches and homes with evergreens at Christmas was long established, the custom of decorating an entire small tree was unknown in Britain until
3672-470: A telephone call mentioning the meeting, Mihdhar, and the name "Nawaf" (Hazmi); while the agency feared "Something nefarious might be afoot", it took no further action. The CIA had already been alerted by Saudi intelligence about Mihdhar and Hazmi being Al-Qaeda members. A CIA team broke into Mihdhar's Dubai hotel room and discovered that Mihdhar had a U.S. visa. While Alec Station alerted intelligence agencies worldwide, it did not share this information with
3808-602: A tree decorated with apples (representing fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and thus to the original sin that Christ took away) and round white wafers (to represent the Eucharist and redemption) was used as a setting for the play. Like the Christmas crib , the Paradise tree was later placed in homes. The apples were replaced by round objects such as shiny red baubles . Fir trees decorated with apples served as
3944-486: Is a gift from the province of Nova Scotia , in thanks for rapid deployment of supplies and rescuers to the 1917 ammunition ship explosion that leveled the city of Halifax ; and in Newcastle upon Tyne , England, where the main civic Christmas tree is an annual gift from the city of Bergen , Norway, in thanks for the part played by soldiers from Newcastle in liberating Bergen from Nazi occupation. Norway also annually gifts
4080-490: Is aired at the end of every broadcast, following live entertainment and the tree is lit by the current Mayor of New York City , the CEO and president of Tishman Speyer and special guests. An estimated 125 million people visit the attraction each year. The tree, usually a Norway spruce 69 to 100 feet (21–30 m) tall, has been a national tradition each year since 1933. The official 2023 Christmas Tree Lighting occurred during
4216-626: Is associated with the Anglican Sunday Schools in Nassau , New Providence: "After prayers and a sermon from the Rev. R. Swann, the teachers and children of St. Agnes', accompanied by those of St. Mary's, marched to the Parsonage of Rev. J. H. Fisher, in front of which a large Christmas tree had been planted for their gratification. The delighted little ones formed a circle around it singing 'Come follow me to
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree - Misplaced Pages Continue
4352-495: Is my message to the American people: to look for a serious government that looks out for their interests and does not attack others, their lands, or their honor. My word to American journalists is not to ask why we did that but to ask what their government has done that forced us to defend ourselves. Bin Laden orchestrated the September 11 attacks. He initially denied involvement, but later recanted his denial. Al Jazeera broadcast
4488-659: Is not much celebrated", whereas in Pennsylvania and New York it is. When Edward H. Johnson was vice president of the Edison Electric Light Company , a predecessor of Con Edison , he created the first known electrically illuminated Christmas tree at his home in New York City in 1882. Johnson became the "Father of Electric Christmas Tree Lights". The lyrics sung in the United States to the German tune O Tannenbaum begin "O Christmas tree...", giving rise to
4624-564: Is said to have first added lighted candles to an evergreen tree. The Christmas tree was first recorded to be used by German Lutherans in the 16th century, with records indicating that a Christmas tree was placed in the Cathedral of Strasbourg in 1539 under the leadership of the Protestant Reformer Martin Bucer . The Moravian Christians put lighted candles on those trees." The earliest known firmly dated representation of
4760-406: The 1982 Lebanon War . Some analysts, including political scientists John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt , also claimed that U.S. support of Israel was a motive for the attacks. In 2004 and 2010, bin Laden again connected the September 11 attacks with U.S. support of Israel, although most of the letters expressed bin Laden's disdain for President Bush and bin Laden's hope to "destroy and bankrupt"
4896-966: The 9/11 Commission in April 2004, then— Attorney General John Ashcroft recalled that the "single greatest structural cause for the September 11th problem was the wall that segregated or separated criminal investigators and intelligence agents". Clarke also wrote: "[T]here were... failures to get information to the right place at the right time". Early on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, nineteen hijackers took control of four commercial airliners (two Boeing 757s and two Boeing 767s ). Large planes with long flights were selected for hijacking because they would have more fuel. * Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−04:00) Excluding hijackers Including emergency workers Including hijackers At 7:59 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 took off from Logan International Airport in Boston . Fifteen minutes into
5032-637: The Arabian Peninsula . In a second 1998 fatwā , bin Laden outlined his objections to American foreign policy with respect to Israel , as well as the continued presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia after the Gulf War . Bin Laden maintained that Muslims are obliged to attack American targets until the aggressive policies of the U.S. against Muslims were reversed. The Hamburg cell in Germany included Islamists who eventually came to be key operatives in
5168-478: The Bohemian Xmas Tree. It is made from Caroline's description of those she saw in Germany". In 1847, Prince Albert wrote: "I must now seek in the children an echo of what Ernest [his brother] and I were in the old time, of what we felt and thought; and their delight in the Christmas trees is not less than ours used to be". A boost to the trend was given in 1848 when The Illustrated London News , in
5304-561: The Central Intelligence Agency informed President George W. Bush that its Counterterrorism Center had identified the attacks as having been the work of Al-Qaeda under Osama bin Laden . The United States formally responded by launching the war on terror and invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban , which rejected U.S. terms to expel Al-Qaeda from Afghanistan and extradite its leaders. The U.S.'s invocation of Article 5 of
5440-509: The Congress of Vienna , and the custom spread across Austria in the following years. In France , the first Christmas tree was introduced in 1840 by the duchesse d'Orléans . In Denmark, a newspaper company claims that the first attested Christmas tree was lit in 1808 by Countess Wilhemine of Holsteinborg. It was the aging countess who told the story of the first Danish Christmas tree to Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen in 1865. He had published
5576-696: The INS , the State Department, the Customs Service , and the FBI to put Hazmi and Mihdhar on their watchlists, but the FBI was prohibited from using criminal agents in searching for the duo, hindering their efforts. Also in July, a Phoenix -based FBI agent sent a message to FBI headquarters, Alec Station, and FBI agents in New York alerting them to "the possibility of a coordinated effort by Osama bin Laden to send students to
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree - Misplaced Pages Continue
5712-669: The New Year holiday. It became a fully secular icon of the New Year holiday: for example, the crowning star was regarded not as a symbol of the Bethlehem Star , but as the Red star . Decorations, such as figurines of airplanes, bicycles, space rockets, cosmonauts , and characters of Russian fairy tales, were produced. This tradition persists after the fall of the USSR, with the New Year holiday outweighing
5848-580: The South Tower . Both collapsed within an hour and forty-one minutes, bringing about the destruction of the remaining five structures in the complex and damaging or destroying nearby buildings. American Airlines Flight 77 flew towards Washington, D.C. and crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., causing a partial collapse. The fourth and final flight, United Airlines Flight 93 , also changed course towards Washington, believed by investigators to target either
5984-800: The United States Capitol or the White House . Alerted to the previous attacks, the passengers revolted against the hijackers who crashed the aircraft into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania , at 10:03 a.m. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered an indefinite ground stop for all air traffic in U.S. airspace, preventing any further aircraft departures until September 13 and requiring all airborne aircraft to return to their point of origin or divert to Canada. The actions undertaken in Canada to support incoming aircraft and their occupants were collectively titled Operation Yellow Ribbon . That evening,
6120-559: The Vatican Christmas Tree . In the Western Christian tradition, Christmas trees are variously erected on days such as the first day of Advent , or even as late as Christmas Eve , depending on the country; customs of the same faith hold that it is unlucky to remove Christmas decorations, such as the Christmas tree, before Twelfth Night and, if they are not taken down on that day, it is appropriate to do so on Candlemas ,
6256-566: The World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Another video obtained by Al Jazeera in September 2006 showed bin Laden with one of the attacks' chief planners, Ramzi bin al-Shibh , as well as hijackers, Hamza al-Ghamdi and Wail al-Shehri , amidst making preparations for the attacks. Journalist Yosri Fouda of the Arabic television channel Al Jazeera reported that in April 2002, al-Qaeda member Khalid Sheikh Mohammed admitted his involvement in
6392-587: The World Trade Center site (colloquially "Ground Zero") took eight months and was completed in May 2002, while the Pentagon was repaired within a year. After delays in the design of a replacement complex, six new buildings were planned to replace the lost towers, along with a museum and memorial dedicated to those who were killed or injured in the attacks. The tallest building, One World Trade Center , began construction in November 2006; it opened in November 2014. Memorials to
6528-487: The "rapid growth of a new industry" as the growing of Christmas trees within Britain became commercially viable due to the size of demand. By 2013, the number of trees grown in Britain for the Christmas market was approximately eight million and their display in homes, shops and public spaces a normal part of the Christmas season. Georgians have their own traditional Christmas tree called Chichilaki , made from dried up hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaped to form
6664-555: The 18th and 19th centuries. In the present-day, the churches and homes of Protestants and Catholics feature both Christmas cribs and Christmas trees. In Poland , there is a folk tradition dating back to an old Slavic pre-Christian custom of suspending a branch of fir , spruce , or pine from the ceiling rafters , called podłaźniczka , during the time of the Koliada winter festival. The branches were decorated with apples, nuts, acorns, and stars made of straw. In more recent times,
6800-786: The 1965 TV special, based on the appearance of Charlie Brown 's Christmas tree. Since the early 20th century, it has become common in many cities, towns, and department stores to put up public Christmas trees outdoors, such as the Macy's Great Tree in Atlanta (since 1948), the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City, and the large Christmas tree at Victoria Square in Adelaide . The use of fire retardant allows many indoor public areas to place real trees and be compliant with code. Licensed applicants of fire retardant solution spray
6936-458: The 1998 fatwa , al-Qaeda identified the Iraq sanctions as a reason to kill Americans, condemning the "protracted blockade" among other actions that constitute a declaration of war against "Allah, his messenger, and Muslims". In 2004, bin Laden claimed that the idea of destroying the towers had first occurred to him in 1982 when he witnessed Israel's bombardment of high-rise apartment buildings during
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#17328454823137072-418: The 19th century. The German-born Queen Charlotte introduced a Christmas tree at a party she gave for children in 1800. The custom did not at first spread much beyond the royal family. Queen Victoria , as a child, was familiar with it and a tree was placed in her room every Christmas. In her journal for Christmas Eve 1832, the delighted 13-year-old princess wrote: After dinner [...] we then went into
7208-446: The 9/11 attacks were a strategic move to provoke America into a war that would incite a pan-Islamic revolution. Documents seized during the 2011 operation that killed bin Laden included notes handwritten by bin Laden in September 2002 with the heading "The Birth of the Idea of September 11". He describes how he was inspired by the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 on October 31, 1999, which
7344-454: The 9/11 attacks. Mohamed Atta ; Marwan al-Shehhi ; Ziad Jarrah ; Ramzi bin al-Shibh; and Said Bahaji were all members of al-Qaeda's Hamburg cell. Bin Laden asserted that all Muslims must wage a defensive war against the United States and combat American aggression. He further argued that military strikes against American assets would send a message to the American people , attempting to force
7480-416: The Branch by a rope in the pole, which shall be by the candle of the high altar." Other sources have offered a connection between the symbolism of the first documented Christmas trees in Germany around 1600 and the trees of pre-Christian traditions, though this claim has been disputed. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica , "The use of evergreen trees , wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life
7616-453: The CIA's Presidential Daily Brief, designated "For the President Only", was entitled Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US . The memo noted that FBI information "indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks". In mid-August, one Minnesota flight school alerted the FBI about Zacarias Moussaoui , who had asked "suspicious questions". The FBI found that Moussaoui
7752-493: The Catholic majority rejected this custom because they considered it a typical Protestant tradition. However, this tradition was almost unknown to the rural population until World War I , after which the decorating of trees became common. The first decorated Christmas market was organized in Ljubljana in 1859. After World War II , during the Yugoslavia period, spruce trees set in the public places (towns, squares, and markets) were, for political reasons, replaced with fir trees,
7888-494: The Christmas (7 January) for a wide majority of Russian people. The Peanuts TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) was influential on the pop culture surrounding the Christmas tree. Aluminum Christmas trees were popular during the early 1960s in the US. They were satirized in the TV special and came to be seen as symbolizing the commercialization of Christmas. The term "Charlie Brown Christmas tree," describing any poor-looking or malformed little tree, also derives from
8024-524: The Christmas tree was largely regarded as a Protestant custom. As a result, it remained confined to the upper Rhineland for a relatively long period of time. The custom did eventually gain wider acceptance beginning around 1815 by way of Prussian officials who emigrated there following the Congress of Vienna . In the 19th century, the Christmas tree was taken to be an expression of German culture and of Gemütlichkeit , especially among emigrants overseas. A decisive factor in winning general popularity
8160-414: The Christmas tree.'" The gifts decorated the trees as ornaments and the children were given tickets with numbers that matched the gifts. This appears to be the typical way of decorating the trees in 1860s Bahamas. In the Christmas of 1864, there was a Christmas tree put up in the Ladies Saloon in the Royal Victoria Hotel for the respectable children of the neighbourhood. The tree was ornamented with gifts for
8296-403: The Cistercian Order refers to what may be considered the oldest references to the Christmas tree: "Note on how to put the Christmas branch, scilicet : On the Christmas eve, you will look for a large Branch of green laurel, and you shall reap many red oranges, and place them on the branches that come of the laurel, specifically as you have seen, and in every orange you shall put a candle, and hang
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#17328454823138432-606: The Eastern and Central time zones, and on tape elsewhere. The ceremony is hosted by Today 's Al Roker (1997–present), Savannah Guthrie (2012–present), and Hoda Kotb (2017–present). In 2007, Ashley Tisdale and Nick Lachey hosted the broadcast with Roker. In 2018, MSNBC and Today anchor Craig Melvin began co-hosting the broadcast. In 2022, Mario Lopez filled in for Guthrie and Roker due to her illness and his health complications involving blood clots. Kelly Clarkson hosted in 2023. Until 1997, it had been broadcast before primetime exclusively in New York on WNBC . In 2019,
8568-506: The FBI and the State Department to alert the embassies and police departments, and the Defense Department to go to "Threat Condition Delta". Clarke later wrote: Somewhere in CIA there was information that two known al Qaeda terrorists had come into the United States. Somewhere in the FBI, there was information that strange things had been going on at flight schools in the United States. [...] They had specific information about individual terrorists from which one could have deduced what
8704-399: The FBI. The Malaysian Special Branch observed the January 5, 2000, meeting of the two al-Qaeda members and informed the CIA that Mihdhar, Hazmi, and Khallad were flying to Bangkok , but the CIA never notified other agencies of this, nor did it ask the State Department to put Mihdhar on its watchlist. An FBI liaison asked permission to inform the FBI of the meeting but was told: "This is not
8840-516: The Germans. A later folk version of the story adds the detail that an evergreen tree grew in place of the felled oak, telling them about how its triangular shape reminds humanity of the Trinity and how it points to heaven. Customs of erecting decorated trees in winter time can be traced to Christmas celebrations in Renaissance-era guilds in Northern Germany and Livonia . The first evidence of decorated trees associated with Christmas Day are trees in guildhalls decorated with sweets to be enjoyed by
8976-550: The North Atlantic Treaty —its only usage to date—called upon allies to fight al-Qaeda. As U.S. and NATO invasion forces swept through Afghanistan, bin Laden eluded them . He denied any involvement until 2004 , when excerpts of a taped statement in which he accepted responsibility for the attacks were released. Al-Qaeda's cited motivations included U.S. support of Israel , the presence of U.S. military bases in Saudi Arabia and sanctions against Iraq . The nearly decade-long manhunt for bin Laden concluded on May 2, 2011, when he
9112-416: The Pentagon , which contains more than 64,000 workers, a military base which has a big concentration of army and intelligence ... As for the World Trade Center , the ones who were attacked and who died in it were part of a financial power. It wasn't a children's school! Neither was it a residence. The consensus is that most of the people who were in the towers were men who backed the biggest financial force in
9248-447: The U.S. Other motives have been suggested in addition to those stated by bin Laden and al-Qaeda. Some authors suggested the "humiliation" that resulted from the Islamic world falling behind the Western world—this discrepancy was rendered especially visible by globalization and a desire to provoke the U.S. into a broader war against the Islamic world in the hope of motivating more allies to support al-Qaeda. Similarly, others have argued
9384-403: The U.S. economy and induced global market shocks . Many other countries strengthened anti-terrorism legislation and expanded their powers of law enforcement and intelligence agencies . The total number of deaths caused by the attacks, combined with the death tolls from the conflicts they directly incited, has been estimated by the Costs of War Project to be over 4.5 million. Cleanup of
9520-508: The U.S. to re-evaluate its support to Israel , and other aggressive policies. In a 1998 interview with American journalist John Miller , bin Laden stated: We do not differentiate between those dressed in military uniforms and civilians; they are all targets in this fatwa. American history does not distinguish between civilians and military, not even women and children. They are the ones who used bombs against Nagasaki. Can these bombs distinguish between infants and military? America does not have
9656-425: The United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the third into the Pentagon (headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense ) in Arlington County, Virginia . The fourth plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania during a passenger revolt. The September 11 attacks killed 2,977 people, making it
9792-438: The United States to attend civil aviation universities and colleges". The agent, Kenneth Williams, suggested the need to interview flight school managers and identify all Arab students seeking flight training. In July, Jordan alerted the U.S. that al-Qaeda was planning an attack on the U.S.; "months later", Jordan notified the U.S. that the attack's codename was "The Big Wedding" and that it involved airplanes. On August 6, 2001,
9928-608: The apprentices and children. In Livonia (present-day Estonia and Latvia ), in 1441, 1442, 1510, and 1514, the Brotherhood of Blackheads erected a tree for the holidays in their guild houses in Reval (now Tallinn) and Riga . On the last night of the celebrations leading up to the holidays, the tree was taken to the Town Hall Square , where the members of the brotherhood danced around it. A Bremen guild chronicle of 1570 reports that
10064-706: The attacks include the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington County, Virginia, and the Flight 93 National Memorial at the Pennsylvania crash site. In 1996, Osama bin Laden of the Islamist militant organization al-Qaeda issued his first fatwā , which declared war against the United States and demanded the expulsion of all American soldiers from
10200-826: The attacks and said they were carried out because: The events that affected my soul in a direct way started in 1982 when America permitted the Israelis to invade Lebanon and the American Sixth Fleet helped them in that. This bombardment began and many were killed and injured and others were terrorised and displaced. I couldn't forget those moving scenes, blood and severed limbs, women and children sprawled everywhere. Houses were destroyed along with their occupants, high rises demolished over their residents, rockets raining down on our home without mercy...As I looked at those demolished towers in Lebanon, it entered my mind that we should punish
10336-461: The attacks as retaliatory strikes against American atrocities against Muslims across the world. He also maintained that the attacks were not directed against women and children, asserting that the targets of the strikes were symbols of America's "economic and military power". In bin Laden's November 2002 Letter to the American People , he identified al-Qaeda's motives for the attacks: After
10472-408: The attacks, along with Ramzi bin al-Shibh. The 2004 9/11 Commission Report determined that the animosity which Mohammed, the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks, felt towards the United States had stemmed from his "violent disagreement with U.S. foreign policy favoring Israel". Mohammed was also an adviser and financier of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the uncle of Ramzi Yousef ,
10608-402: The attacks, bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri released additional recordings , some of which repeated the above reasons. Two relevant publications were bin Laden's 2002 Letter to the American People and a 2004 videotape by bin Laden. [...] those young men, for whom God has cleared the way, didn't set out to kill children, but rather attacked the biggest centre of military power in the world,
10744-469: The attacks, said: It has become clear that the West in general and America in particular have an unspeakable hatred for Islam. ... It is the hatred of crusaders . Terrorism against America deserves to be praised because it was a response to injustice, aimed at forcing America to stop its support for Israel, which kills our people. ... We say that the end of the United States is imminent, whether Bin Laden or his followers are alive or dead, for
10880-511: The awakening of the Muslim ummah [nation] has occurred. ... It is important to hit the economy (of the United States), which is the base of its military power...If the economy is hit they will become reoccupied. Shortly before the 2004 U.S. presidential election , bin Laden used a taped statement to publicly acknowledge al-Qaeda's involvement in the attacks. He admitted his direct link to
11016-532: The backyard, or from the fences, modestly decorated with fruits or not decorated at all. German brewer Peter Luelsdorf brought the first Christmas tree of the current tradition to Slovenia in 1845. He set it up in his small brewery inn in Ljubljana , the Slovenian capital. German officials, craftsmen and merchants quickly spread the tradition among the bourgeois population. The trees were typically decorated with walnuts , golden apples, carobs , and candles. At first,
11152-601: The central prop for the paradise play, a kind of folk religious drama often performed on December 24. These props were called paradise trees, and some researchers believe they were the forerunners of the Christmas tree. At the end of the Middle Ages, an early predecessor appears referred in the 15th century Regiment of the Cistercian Alcobaça Monastery in Portugal . The Regiment of the local high- Sacristans of
11288-602: The children of the much-bombarded town of Lille in northern France. In some cases, the trees represent special commemorative gifts, such as in Trafalgar Square in London , where the City of Oslo , Norway , presents a tree to the people of London as a token of appreciation for the British support of Norwegian resistance during World War II ; in Boston , United States, where the tree
11424-529: The children who formed a circle about it and sung the song "Oats and Beans". The gifts were later given to the children in the name of Santa Claus . The tradition was introduced to North America in the winter of 1781 by Hessian soldiers stationed in the Province of Québec (1763–1791) to garrison the colony against American attack . General Friedrich Adolf Riedesel and his wife, the Baroness von Riedesel , held
11560-469: The company Oznium, who worked with the engineers. In total it weighs 900 pounds (408.23 kg). The first Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center was erected in 1931, during the Depression -era construction of Rockefeller Center , when Italian-American workers decorated a smaller 20 foot (6.1 m) balsam fir with "strings of cranberries, garlands of paper, and even a few tin cans" on Christmas Eve . With
11696-516: The conclusion of the extended Christmas-Epiphany season (Epiphanytide). According to the first tradition, those who fail to remember to remove their Christmas decorations on Epiphany Eve must leave them untouched until Candlemas, the second opportunity to remove them; failure to observe this custom is considered inauspicious. September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks , commonly known as 9/11 , were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against
11832-496: The deadliest terrorist attack in history as well as the deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement personnel in American history, killing 343 and 72 members, respectively. The loss of life stemming from the impact of Flight 11 made it the most lethal multi-plane crash in aviation history followed by the death toll incurred by Flight 175. The destruction of the World Trade Center and its environs seriously harmed
11968-585: The deadliest terrorist attack in history. In response to the attacks, the United States waged the multi-decade global war on terror to eliminate hostile groups deemed terrorist organizations, as well as the foreign governments purported to support them. Ringleader Mohamed Atta flew American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan at 8:46 a.m. Seventeen minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 hit
12104-461: The decorations also included colored paper cutouts ( wycinanki ), wafers , cookies , and Christmas baubles . According to old pagan beliefs, the branch's powers were linked to good harvest and prosperity. The custom was practiced by the peasants until the early 20th century, particularly in the regions of Lesser Poland and Upper Silesia . Most often the branches were hung above the wigilia dinner table on Christmas Eve . Beginning in
12240-463: The drawing room near the dining room [...] There were two large round tables on which were placed two trees hung with lights and sugar ornaments. All the presents being placed round the trees [...] In the year following Victoria's marriage to her German cousin Prince Albert , in 1841, the custom became even more widespread as wealthier middle-class families followed the fashion. In 1842,
12376-401: The engraving into an American scene. The republished Godey's image became the first widely circulated picture of a decorated evergreen Christmas tree in America. Art historian Karal Ann Marling called Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, shorn of their royal trappings, "the first influential American Christmas tree". Folk-culture historian Alfred Lewis Shoemaker states, "In all of America there
12512-620: The first day of the Advent season. Traditionally, however, Christmas trees were not brought in and decorated until the evening of Christmas Eve (24 December), the end of the Advent season and the start of the twelve days of Christmastide . It is customary for Christians in many localities to remove their Christmas decorations on the last day of the twelve days of Christmastide that falls on 5 January— Epiphany Eve (Twelfth Night), although those in other Christian countries remove them on Candlemas ,
12648-505: The flight, five hijackers armed with boxcutters took over the plane, injuring at least three people (and possibly killing one) before forcing their way into the cockpit. The terrorists also displayed an apparent explosive and sprayed mace into the cabin, to frighten the hostages into submission and further hinder resistance. Back at Logan, United Airlines Flight 175 took off at 8:14 a.m. Hundreds of miles southwest at Dulles International Airport , American Airlines Flight 77 left
12784-531: The gate at 8:00 a.m., the plane was running 42 minutes late. At 8:46 a.m., Flight 11 was deliberately crashed into the north face of the World Trade Center's North Tower between the 93rd and 99th floors. The initial presumption by many was that it was an accident. At 8:51 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 was also taken over by five hijackers who forcibly entered the cockpit 31 minutes after take-off. Although they were equipped with knives, there were no reports of anyone on board being stabbed, nor did
12920-483: The grounds of the wildlife center in Saugerties, New York . The decorated tree remains on display at the plaza entrance of 30 Rockefeller Plaza at least through January 6 of the new year. As of 2019, more than a half million people passed by the tree each day while it is on display, according to Rockefeller Center. Since 1997, the lighting ceremony has been broadcast live on NBC in the first hour of primetime, live in
13056-741: The hijackers. Bin Laden overruled Mohammed, rejecting potential targets such as the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles for lack of time. Bin Laden provided leadership and financial support and was involved in selecting participants. He initially selected Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar , both experienced jihadists who had fought in Bosnia . Hazmi and Mihdhar arrived in the United States in mid-January 2000. In early 2000, Hazmi and Mihdhar took flying lessons in San Diego, California. Both spoke little English, performed poorly in flying lessons, and eventually served as secondary "muscle" hijackers. In late 1999,
13192-717: The latter of which ends the Christmas-Epiphany season in some denominations . The Christmas tree is sometimes compared with the " Yule -tree", especially in discussions of its folkloric origins. Modern Christmas trees originated in Central Europe and the Baltic states , particularly Estonia , Germany and Livonia (now Latvia ) during the Renaissance in early modern Europe. Its 16th-century origins are sometimes associated with Protestant Christian reformer Martin Luther , who
13328-555: The lead bomber in that attack. In late 1994, Mohammed and Yousef moved on to plan a new terrorist attack called the Bojinka plot planned for January 1995. Despite a failure and Yousef's capture by U.S. forces the following month, the Bojinka plot would influence the later 9/11 attacks. In "Substitution for Testimony of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed" from the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui , five people are identified as having been completely aware of
13464-539: The lighting of the 50-foot-tall (15 m) first official tree two years later, the tree became what Rockefeller Center dubbed "a holiday beacon for New Yorkers and visitors alike". A skating rink was opened below the tree in the plaza in 1936. Since then, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has been a yearly tradition. Workers pooled their money for that unlit tree, with the garlands made by workers' families. According to Rockefeller Center's website,
13600-413: The mid-19th century, the tradition over time was almost completely replaced by the later German practice of decorating a standing Christmas tree. In the early 19th century, the custom became popular among the nobility and spread to royal courts as far as Russia. Introduced by Fanny von Arnstein and popularized by Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg , the Christmas tree reached Vienna in 1814, during
13736-700: The mistaken idea that the German word Tannenbaum (fir tree) means "Christmas tree", the German word for which is instead Weihnachtsbaum . Under the state atheism of the Soviet Union , the Christmas tree—along with the entire celebration of the Christian holiday—was banned in the country after the October Revolution . However, the government then introduced a New-year spruce ( Russian : Новогодняя ёлка , romanized : Novogodnyaya yolka ) in 1935 for
13872-435: The narrowness of the streets around Rockefeller Center limits the height of the tree to 100 feet (30 m). The tree is then delivered to the city by a local company, Christmas Tree Brooklyn. On its way to Manhattan, the tree is often dressed in giant red bows or banners extending holiday greetings to witnesses. Trucks, barges, and a transport plane have all been used to help the tree make the trip. Once at Rockefeller Center,
14008-459: The nature trails of upper Manhattan. Though the tree typically makes its journey on a truck bed, in 1998 it was flown in from Richfield, Ohio, on the world's largest transport plane. 1999 saw Rockefeller Center's tallest tree, a 100 foot (30 m) spruce from Killingworth, Connecticut. In 2001, following the September 11 attacks , the tree was again decorated in hues of red, white and blue. In 2007,
14144-421: The newly delivered tree during its installation. The bird was discovered by workers who transported the spruce 170 miles (270 km) from Oneonta, New York to New York City . The feathered stowaway, named Rockefeller (Rocky), endured the three-day road trip and generated much public interest and media coverage. She was taken to a wildlife center for a check-up and nursed to full strength before being released on
14280-403: The operation's details. They are bin Laden, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ramzi bin al-Shibh , Abu Turab al-Urduni and Mohammed Atef . Osama bin Laden's declaration of a holy war against the United States, and a 1998 fatwā signed by bin Laden and others that called for the killing of Americans, are seen by investigators as evidence of his motivation. In November 2001, bin Laden defended
14416-464: The oppressor in kind and that we should destroy towers in America so that they taste some of what we tasted and so that they be deterred from killing our women and children. And that day, it was confirmed to me that oppression and the intentional killing of innocent women and children is a deliberate American policy. Destruction is freedom and democracy, while resistance is terrorism and intolerance. Bin Laden personally directed his followers to attack
14552-600: The organization-including Abu Hafs the Mauritanian , Sheikh Saeed al Masri , and Sayf al Adl . One senior al Qaeda operative claims to recall Bin Ladin arguing that attacks against the United States needed to be carried out immediately to support insurgency in the Israeli-occupied territories and protest the presence of U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia. — 9/11 Commission Report , p. 251 On July 13, Tom Wilshire,
14688-471: The participant's presence in the U.S. The CIA gave Gillespie surveillance photos of Mihdhar and Hazmi from the meeting to show to FBI counterterrorism but did not tell her their significance. The Intelink database informed her not to share intelligence material with criminal investigators. When shown the photos, the FBI refused more details on their significance, and they were not given Mihdhar's date of birth or passport number. In late August 2001, Gillespie told
14824-404: The poem Epithalamium by Catullus , he tells of the gods decorating the home of Peleus with trees, including laurel and cypress. Later Libanius , Tertullian , and Chrysostom speak of the use of evergreen trees to adorn Christian houses. The Vikings and Saxons worshiped trees. The story of Saint Boniface cutting down Donar's Oak illustrates the pagan practices in 8th century among
14960-498: The practice at about that time. An 1853 article on Christmas customs in Pennsylvania defines them as mostly "German in origin", including the Christmas tree, which is "planted in a flower pot filled with earth, and its branches are covered with presents, chiefly of confectionary, for the younger members of the family." The article distinguishes between customs in different states, however, claiming that in New England generally "Christmas
15096-582: The runway at 8:20 a.m. Flight 175's journey proceeded normally for 28 minutes until 8:42 am, when a group of five hijacked the plane, murdering both pilots and stabbing several crew members before assuming control of the aircraft. These hijackers also used bomb threats to instil fear into the passengers and crew, also spraying chemical weapons to disable any opposition. Concurrently, United Airlines Flight 93 departed from Newark International Airport in New Jersey ; originally scheduled to pull away from
15232-541: The spring of 2001, the secondary hijackers began arriving in the United States. In July 2001, Atta met with bin al-Shibh in Tarragona , Catalonia, Spain, where they coordinated details of the plot, including final target selection. Bin al-Shibh passed along bin Laden's wish for the attacks to be carried out as soon as possible. Some of the hijackers received passports from corrupt Saudi officials who were family members or used fraudulent passports to gain entry. There have been
15368-575: The story of a German maid decorating her mistress' tree. Also, a woodcut of the British royal family with their Christmas tree at Windsor Castle, initially published in The Illustrated London News in December 1848, was copied in the United States at Christmas 1850, in Godey's Lady's Book . Godey's copied it exactly, except for the removal of the Queen's tiara and Prince Albert's moustache, to remake
15504-408: The tapers on a Christmas tree. They had not yet spread down the social scale though, as a report from Berlin in 1858 contrasts the situation there where "Every family has its own" with that of Britain, where Christmas trees were still the preserve of the wealthy or the "romantic". Their use at public entertainments, charity bazaars and in hospitals made them increasingly familiar however, and in 1906
15640-671: The top of the tree to represent the Angel Gabriel or the Star of Bethlehem , respectively, from the Nativity . Edible items such as gingerbread , chocolate , and other sweets are also popular and are tied to or hung from the tree's branches with ribbons. The Christmas tree has been historically regarded as a custom of the Lutheran Churches and only in 1982 did the Catholic Church erect
15776-454: The tree is lit following a 5-second countdown and since 2011, the tree lighting ceremony has been followed by the singing of Joy to the World performed by a choir. Until 2018, the lighting was the last moment of the program, and has since been moved to the last ten minutes. On November 16, 2020, an adult female northern saw-whet owl was found dehydrated and hungry within the wrapped branches of
15912-454: The tree is supported by four guy-wires attached at its midpoint and by a steel spike at its base. Scaffolding is erected around the tree to assist workers in hanging about 50,000 multi-colored LED lights and the star top. A new crystal star of Swarovski crystal which tops the tree was created in 2018 and designed by the renowned architect Daniel Liebeskind . The new star features 70 spikes and three million crystals with LED lighting spots by
16048-493: The tree lighting with a special on The Kate Smith Hour . In 1969, artist Valerie Clarebout's towering wire herald angels were added to the Channel Gardens in front of the tree near Fifth Avenue. Clarebout created the 12 sculptures using 75 points of metal wire each. The 1971 65-foot-tall (20 m) tree from East Montpelier, Vermont, was the first to be mulched and recycled. It was turned into 30 three-bushel bags of mulch for
16184-453: The tree was "from the beginning ... a gathering place and reflection of what was happening in the world around it". World War II ushered in simple, patriotic decorations, including red, white and blue unlit globes and painted wooden stars. In 1942, instead of one large tree, three more modest trees were raised, each decorated in one of the flag's colors. From 1944 until the war's end in 1945, the tree went unlit due to blackout regulations. After
16320-436: The tree went "green", converting to energy-efficient lighting with LEDs . The LEDs use 1,200 fewer kilowatt hours of electricity per day, enough to power a 2,000-square-foot home for a month. Also since 2007, each year after display, the tree has been milled into lumber and donated to Habitat for Humanity for use in house construction. In 2014, mayor Bill de Blasio did not participate in the tree lighting ceremony. Since 2009,
16456-554: The tree, tag the tree, and provide a certificate for inspection. The United States' National Christmas Tree has been lit each year since 1923 on the South Lawn of the White House , becoming part of what evolved into a major holiday event at the White House. President Jimmy Carter lit only the crowning star atop the tree in 1979 in honor of the Americans being held hostage in Iran . This
16592-465: The tri-state area and looks for unique backyard trees. Trees are also submitted for consideration through Rockefeller Center's website. Pauzé and his team choose each year's tree based on its heartiness and "Christmas tree shape," as well as its ability to support the heavy ornaments. Once a tree is selected, a crane supports the tree while it is cut, then moved to a custom telescoping trailer able to transport trees up to 125 feet (38 m) tall, although
16728-421: The war, the year of darkness was left behind, as six ultraviolet light projectors were employed to make it appear as though the tree's 700 fluorescent globes were glowing in the dark. By the 1950s, workers began using scaffolding to decorate the tree, as larger trees were accommodated. Before the decade was over, the decorating process called for 20 workers and nine days. 1951 marked the first time that NBC televised
16864-550: The world, which spreads mischief throughout the world. — Osama Bin Laden's interview with Tayseer Allouni , October 21, 2001 As an adherent of Islam , bin Laden believed that non-Muslims are forbidden from having a permanent presence in the Arabian Peninsula . In 1996, bin Laden issued a fatwā calling for American troops to leave Saudi Arabia. One analysis of suicide terrorism suggested that without U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, Al-Qaeda likely would not have been able to get people to commit to suicide missions. In
17000-612: The young men "went with a flock of maidens and women, first sang and danced there and then set the tree aflame". After the Protestant Reformation , such trees are seen in the houses of upper-class Protestant families as a counterpart to the Catholic Christmas cribs . This transition from the guild hall to bourgeois family homes in the Protestant parts of Germany ultimately gives rise to the modern tradition as it developed in
17136-579: Was a custom of the ancient Egyptians , Chinese , and Hebrews . Tree worship was common among the pagan Europeans and survived their conversion to Christianity in the Scandinavian customs of decorating the house and barn with evergreens at the New Year to scare away the devil and of setting up a tree for the birds during Christmas time." It is commonly believed that ancient Romans used to decorate their houses with evergreen trees to celebrate Saturnalia , although there are no historical records of that. In
17272-496: Was a radical who had traveled to Pakistan, and the INS arrested him for overstaying his French visa. Their request to search his laptop was denied by FBI headquarters due to the lack of probable cause . The failures in intelligence-sharing were attributed to 1995 Justice Department policies limiting intelligence-sharing, combined with CIA and NSA reluctance to reveal "sensitive sources and methods" such as tapped phones. Testifying before
17408-412: Was about to happen. None of that information got to me or the White House. [...] by July [2001], with word spreading of a coming attack, a schism emerged among the senior leadership of al Qaeda. Several senior members reportedly agreed with Mullah Omar . Those who reportedly sided with bin Ladin included Atef , Sulayman Abu Ghayth , and KSM . But those said to have opposed him were weighty figures in
17544-590: Was deliberately crashed by co-pilot Gameel Al-Batouti , killing over 200 passengers. "This is how the idea of 9/11 was conceived and developed in my head, and that is when we began the planning" bin Laden continued, adding that no one but Abu Hafs and Abu al-Khair knew about it at the time. The 9/11 Commission Report identified Khalid Sheikh Mohammed as the architect of 9/11, but he is not mentioned in bin Laden's notes. The attacks were conceived by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , who first presented it to Osama bin Laden in 1996. At that time, bin Laden and Al-Qaeda were in
17680-532: Was discontinued on the death of the paper's founder in the late 1980s. In some cities, a charity event called the Festival of Trees is organized, in which multiple trees are decorated and displayed. The giving of Christmas trees has also often been associated with the end of hostilities. After the signing of the Armistice in 1918, the city of Manchester , England, sent a tree, and £500 to buy chocolate and cakes, for
17816-596: Was killed during a U.S. military raid on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan . The War in Afghanistan continued for another eight years until the agreement was made in February 2020 for American and NATO troops to withdraw from the country . Excluding the hijackers, the attacks killed 2,977 people, injured thousands more and gave rise to substantial long-term health consequences while also causing at least $ 10 billion in infrastructure and property damage. It remains
17952-548: Was no more important medium in spreading the Christmas tree in the decade 1850–60 than Godey's Lady's Book ". The image was reprinted in 1860, and by the 1870s, putting up a Christmas tree had become even more common in America. President Benjamin Harrison and his wife Caroline put up the first White House Christmas tree in 1889. Several cities in the United States with German connections lay claim to that country's first Christmas tree. Windsor Locks, Connecticut , claims that
18088-529: Was repeated in 1980, except the tree was fully lit for 417 seconds, one second for each day the hostages had been in captivity. During most of the 1970s and 1980s, the largest decorated Christmas tree in the world was put up every year on the property of the National Enquirer in Lantana, Florida . This tradition grew into one of the most spectacular and celebrated events in the history of southern Florida, but
18224-479: Was the German army's decision to place Christmas trees in its barracks and military hospitals during the Franco-Prussian War . Only at the start of the 20th century did Christmas trees appear inside churches, this time in a new brightly lit form. Early Slovenian custom, dating back to around the 17th century, was to suspend the tree either upright or upside-down above the well, a corner of the dinner table, in
18360-724: Was the seat of the Holy Roman Empire and Habsburg monarchy , both major powers in Europe at the time. For Osama bin Laden, this was a date when the West gained some dominance over Islam, and by attacking on this date, he hoped to make a step in Islam "winning" the war for worldwide power and influence. In late 1999, al-Qaeda associate Walid bin Attash ("Khallad") contacted Mihdhar and told him to meet in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia; Hazmi and Abu Bara al Yemeni would also be in attendance. The NSA intercepted
18496-442: Was traditionally decorated with "roses made of colored paper, apples , wafers , tinsel , [and] sweetmeats ". Moravian Christians began to illuminate Christmas trees with candles, which were often replaced by Christmas lights after the advent of electrification . Today, there is a wide variety of traditional and modern ornaments , such as garlands , baubles , tinsel , and candy canes . An angel or star might be placed at
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